


Wildflowers

by Greengargouille



Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-19
Updated: 2017-01-09
Packaged: 2018-09-09 21:43:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8914000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Greengargouille/pseuds/Greengargouille
Summary: “Love is like wildflowers ; It's often found in the most unlikely places.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
   A collection of one-shots made during the Ankyou RarePair Week of 2016, reposted from Tumblr.Day 1- Superhero (Yuujisa)Day 2- Chopsticks (SugaMi)Day 4- Magic Trick (ShiroKoro)Extra Day - First Meeting (Takaoka/God of Death)





	1. Day 1 - Superhero

**Author's Note:**

> The theme of Day 1 was **Clothes swap**. I have been greatly inspired by Black-Ritual's series of fanfiction "Found You Again".

Honestly, Yuuji wasn’t fond of comic books. He couldn’t exactly say he disliked them ; it was more of a disinterest in the subject. On the first times his father brought him to New York, besides a cap and a few american snacks, he purchased a couple of the colorful publications. His eyes have been attracted by the covers ; however, these comics have been the source of many headaches, between the ongoing stories and his very approximative English skills. The whole experience left a bad taste in his mouth.

Of course, he wasn’t that childish for it to be the only reason in his lack of interest. A few of his friends seemed fond of some superhero series, so he tried to take a peek. Selfless heroes, not wanting even a thank or acknowledgement for their good deeds. Talented heroes, born with their amazing powers -or alternatively a giant fortune. Burdened heroes, feeling like those skills they have been gifted with meant they had a duty to the society.

Boring, boring and unrelatable.

Those heroes... they weren’t human. Well, some of them literally weren’t, but the point stayed the same. Yuuji didn’t feel any appeal in those stories. If he bought gifts for some girls, invited them somewhere, should he just feel happy because being nice is its own reward ? The fortune of his father is supposed to give him the potential to be a hero, so if he didn’t exploit it, that made him automatically a bad person ?

...Maybe, in retrospect, he indeed have been childish at the whole affair. Didn’t mean he disliked superheroes any less.

In spite of that, he have been surprisingly fast to accept Nagisa’s invitation to the latest ‘ _Sonic Ninja_ ’ movie.

“ _I already saw the original version with a friend, but I would be interested in how they dubbed it_ ”. That was fishy. He could understand seeing a movie again for the original voices, but the inverse ? Was it really that amazing, for the boy to want to see it twice ?

...As if. Even watching it one time was, frankly, quite enough for Yuuji. The only reason that stopped him of taking his boyfriend by the end and leave in the middle was because said boyfriend whispered something to him at that moment. He didn’t even understood what, some kind of explanation of a reference, but the warm breath tickling the skin of his neck left quite an impression on him. Thank god movie theaters were dark enough to hide a sudden blush.

“-And it’s really interesting how they handled the name of the attack, too ! In English it was ‘ _Dragon Beam_ ’ but the first time, it was handled as some sort of joke, while here they referenced an early translation-”

At least Nagisa seemed enthusiastic about the whole experience. Gosh was he cute when he talked like that, his hands moving along his sentences. He would have probably spilled the content of his drink a few times if it wasn’t for the lid ; they stopped at a fast food to eat something after the movie, Nagisa insisted to pay and Yuuji didn’t have the heart to empty the boy’s wallet on an actually decent place. Besides, while he would joke at its terrible quality with his school comrades, the greasy, salty food had some surprisingly addicting charm.

“Ah, I’m blabbering too much, sorry, I didn’t even ask what you thought of the movie...  
-It’s fine, it’s interesting to listen to you.” Even if he didn’t understand half of it. “Besides, I don’t have much to say.  
-You don’t ?” Nagisa blinked, as if he couldn’t quite grasp the concept.  
-To be honest, there was a lot of confusing moments. He didn’t want to be too harsh on a movie the other seemed to like so much, so he used the most obvious problem as an excuse. “Maybe they’re better explained in the comics-  
-They are !  
-But then they should have been adapted. And the number of characters, too, like half of them at best were useful !  
-Yes, I see your point, it’s true it was more to please the fans. But it wasn’t... that... bad ?  
-It was fun.” Yuuji admitted. “But it still bother me that Mary Ann couldn’t notice Ethan have the exact same voice as Sonic Ninja, like... he doesn’t even bother to hide it !  
-Yes, it was like this in the original dub too. I guess they couldn’t change that...” Nagisa furrowed his brows. “Now that I think about it, there’s no explication in the comic either... I never noticed it because the dialogues are written...  
-Well, even in appearance only, they’re quite similar, with their build and height. Heck, even the jaw is noticeable.  
-It’s not that bad, compared to other superheroes. At least he wear a mask.  
-That’s not an excuse, it just means the other are even more ridiculous. I mean, how could putting a suit could fool anyone ?  
-You would be surprised by how many people can be confused by clothes.” Nagisa took a few sips of his drink during the time needed by Yuuji to process the sentence.  
“Hey, that’s not a jab at me, is it ?  
-Sorry, sorry, it’s just...” Nagisa chuckled at the other’s reaction. “I couldn’t help but tease you a bit. My point still stand, though.  
-That’s not comparable, I still recognized you when I saw you with pants, didn’t I ?  
-Haha, that’s true. But, you know... Clothes can really change a person ? When I put my military... my ‘sport’ uniform...” The class E student looked at his interlocutor, wanting to see if he understood what he talked about, “I feel... different ? More... ‘here’. More attentive to my environnement. More concentrated on my body and each move and sound.” A small smile spread on his lips. “I feel happier, too.” Yuuji felt a brief chill imagining it, the Nagisa that was like a shadow, a hunter smiling at his prey. “So... It might not be that farfetched to think that, because an hero wear different clothes, they have a different attitude and so looks like a different person ?  
-That’s... that’s a good theory, but in practice we see none of this. I mean, I’ve never got the impression Sonic Ninja was really different from Ethan.  
-Ah, that’s true.”

They stayed silent a few minutes, chewing on burger. Nagisa seemed lost in thought. Was that the clothes conversation that put him in that state ? Yuuji couldn’t remember of a time his own attire had an influence on his comportement. He might feel more comfortable with one of his caps on the head, but he spent enough time in class without it to say it truly made a difference. He knew, however, that his life was vastly different from Nagisa’s. He wondered how distinct would be his personality, with an uniform made for assassination on him. Or wearing a skirt, would he felt as shy as that girl- that boy he once met last summer, on that island ?

“How does that feel to wear girl clothes ?”

He formulated his question without thinking too much about it ; it’s only when seeing Nagisa stiffen that he actually noticed what he said. Ah. Now that was a mistake. 

“I’m sorry, it’s...!! It was a stupid question, don’t mind it !  
-No, it’s okay. I understand that you could be curious. I don’t mind.” 

Despite what he said, his gaze fell on the tray, his fingers agitated. Yuuji should have said something. It’s alright. Let’s switch subject. But... He had to admit, he actually was curious. Nagisa... For Yuuji, Nagisa was himself, no matter what he wore. But it’s obvious that the boy did not felt the same. After a long breath, understanding his boyfriend would not break the silence, the smaller boy spoke again.

“Actually, it depends a bit of the situation.” Nagisa’s hands were now fidgeting with a packet of ketchup. “When my comrades does it... I’m still uncomfortable, sure, and... my stomach twist into knots when they laugh and joke about how girly I am, but I know they don’t mean it, I’m fine with that.” Yet he did not look fine speaking about it. “When... When it’s with... with _her_...” 

His voice was barely audible on that last word, as in fear of invoking some grand demon by talking about it. Somehow, Yuuji understood who was the woman in question. He could see her again, stern and smiling yet intimidating. But he also remembered what he did not see, what left Nagisa bruised, with his face scratched and his hair disheveled.

Nagisa’s fingers tightened on the small plastic packet. Yuuji said nothing.

“It’s... weird. I don’t really know how else to describe it. It’s as if it wasn’t really my body, just... there are hands that makes the moves I told them to, skin on which I can feel fabric, the weight of flesh... it’s all there, yet it feel so... distant... I don’t like it, I hate it, I _hate_ when she does that and- Ah !!”

Red flowed between his fingers. The packet of ketchup had exploded.

“Ah ! My sleeve !  
-The front of your coat is touched, too.  
-Crap, I... I need to wash it now before it leave a stain !!  
-Do you want any-” Nagisa stood up in a panic to go to the restroom. “-paper... towel...”

The last words dropped out of Yuuji’s mouth as he looked at the other boy almost running. 

Well, that was really a mistake to ask.

“So ? Is it still here ?”  


Nagisa examined the wet parts under the bathroom’s lights, unsure.

“I guess. I should have removed my coat when eating, if it were the clothes under I could have hidden it, but the coat... I use it everyday... Oh, no, if my mother notice...  
-Can’t you just tell her it’s my fault ? She will be more indulgent this way, no ?  
-I don’t know, she... Sometimes the problem is just a pretext...”

Yuuji felt something stuck in his throat. A little bit of guilt, surely.

“...If you take my coat, will that be okay ?  
-...Your coat ?  
-Yeah, it’s new. I might be a little bigger than you, but you wear your clothes wide anyways. Say it’s a thanks from me for messing your coat. Like this it should be fine, right ?  
-It should be okay... No, more importantly, you will catch a cold like this ! I can’t accept !  
-Then let’s swap. It might be tight but your coat might be fine ?  
-...We... can try ?”

Nagisa had this hesitant look on his face. Well, better than panic. Carefully, he took from Yuuji’s arms the coat offered to him, exchanging it with his own, and put on the piece of outer cloth.

“...Look nice on you.  
-...Is it... really okay for me to take it...? You said it’s new...  
-Don’t worry about it, I can buy another. Are you comfortable in it ?” Nagisa nodded.  
“...You know, about how wearing different clothes make you feel different...  
-Forget it, that was stupid of me to ask...  
-It was a bit stupid, yes. But, actually...” Nagisa’s mouth shaped the hint of a smile, as he seemed to finally relax after those eventful minutes. “In your clothes, I feel a little braver.  
-...Oh.” Yuuji had not expected this. He couldn’t help but smile too, the kind of big, dorky smile. “If you need more bravery, I can lend you more.  
-Careful, I might take you at your words and steal your whole wardrobe.” There. Nagisa had a true smile now. Must be contagious. “How’s my coat ?  
-Let me try...” Ah, it was tighter than he hoped. He worried an instant that the sleeves would crack at the shoulder, but it actually went fine. Comfortable, except for the wet sleeve against his wrist. And tight. It looked wide on Nagisa, why was it so tight ?  
“I must look ridiculous.  
-You look fine.” If Nagisa said so, then it must be true, despite what the mirror told him. “My savior in white armor.”

They looked at each other before a laughter erupted between the two of them.

The coat may not fit the image he had of them.

But, somehow, Yuuji still felt like that this time, he could be a hero for Nagisa.


	2. Day 2 - Chopsticks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The theme of Day 2 was **Sharing Food**.

Quietness. It was rare during lunchtime, on a school day. If Mimura concentrated enough, he would notice the smaller sounds. The ticks of the wall clock. The faint chatter coming from the main classroom, at the opposite side of the building. Plastic being molded and cut next to him. The irregular noise of his own chopsticks, as he fidgeted with his food. It was as if sound was drowned out by the atmosphere of the room, standing still in the air like the thin dust in the sunlight.

It felt weird not being able to engage in conversation, knowing full well his comrades were there, at the other side of the hallway. He had gotten used to this, switching from a light topic to another, arguing between two bites and basically being a normal student during the lunch pause -something he would have never expected during his first days in class E.

He couldn’t leave the room he was currently in, though. It might feel lonely, between the cooking utensils and chemistry kits filling the shelves, but his role here was important.

“Could you pass me my utility knife ? The one with the fixed blade.  
-Sure.”

...Maybe not that important, though. Frankly, there wasn’t much he could do to help Sugaya into making his disguises ; the skills of the artist were unmatched. He mostly needed someone to keep track of the time, so by Korosensei’s return from Italy or Madagascar or who knew where, no trace of his work was left to see. When working seriously, the artist was unaware of the minutes passing ; unfortunately, he needed this state of mind to advance as fast as possible, and it just wasn’t possible in the usual, noisy classroom.

They could have left the job for Ritsu ; she was already keeping track of their teacher’s position via his cellphone to warn them of his return, there was no need for anyone else as long as Sugaya had a charged phone for her to inform him. It was the plan the class was settled on, at first. But then, the tall boy had looked at Mimura, silent for some seconds, before claiming  “ _Actually, I might need help organizing my tools_ ”. 

Curiously, no one in the class wanted to rise to the challenge of going through all the pencil cases and art supplies the artist carried with him, in search of objects they might not even recognize the name.

Well, Mimura was already used to Sugaya’s slightly particular methods of storing his tools. They spent so much time together outside of class ; how could he not remember it after all those moments sitting next to each other, at exhibits or museums and so many other places where the artist felt the need to draw something that captured his attention ? Where he stored his brushes or markers, his charcoal sticks and erasers... that also included the less common supplies, the ones Sugaya would only use when no else except a few friends was there, especially not a giant octopus. Those he used to create camouflages and masks and any kind of disguise.

Mimura was almost sure, when Sugaya asked for help, that his friend wanted him specifically. As long as he wasn’t named for the task, he could have easily refused. The support he could provide was minimal ; he knew he wouldn’t feel very useful doing this job. But, if the artist wanted him by his side, he didn’t have the heart to refuse. 

It was misleading to present things this way, actually. He liked to see his friend in that specific state of full concentration, an unusual sharpness glittering in his eyes as his hands moved fluidly. When he watched him in those moments, Mimura felt detached from the rest of the world, as if it mattered a little less. It was... soothing.

Because he liked to observe him, he could notice. Sugaya was acting unusual this day. Slow and uncertain. Irregular. Numbness in his motions. Still better at what he was doing than anyone in the class, but certainly not the best he could do.

...Ah, he said he spent a sleepless night, didn’t he ? That was so him, awake way too late working, usually more on personal projects than homework, then napping during the morning classes. Korosensei hadn’t been able to shake that bad habit out of him yet.

“You’re sure you will be okay skipping lunch ?”

Sugaya didn’t look away from the mask he was currently holding, but he made a displeased face. Lack of rest was a thing, not eating enough besides that was another.

“It’s not like I want to, I _really_ need to finish this today. I can’t be sure Korosensei won’t notice if I try to give the disguises to everyone tomorrow, and I can’t work between classes with him there.”

Mimura couldn’t help being a tad concerned when the sentence ended with a yawn. 

“We have sport in the afternoon, will you really be alright ?  
-...Crap, I forgot about that.” He sighed. “ Well, I don’t have a choice, I didn’t stop to the convenience store to buy my lunch.”

This would not usually be a bother. The students could, when Korosensei was there, ask him to go to the convenience store with his Mach 20 speed, with the condition that any money he could spare on what they gave him could be used as a paiement ; their teacher was surprisingly talented in finding the best deals with this motivation, and he always made sure the children all had enough to eat. On days like this, when the giant octopus was away at the other side of the world, everyone tried to leave a little bit of something to eat for their unlucky comrade -in Hara’s case, ‘a little’ for her giant lunchboxes meant almost half a normal meal ; nowadays, however, that portion was given to Itona, and anybody would feel guilty taking that away from him given his current situation.

Mimura should probably feel lucky he never had to do this, given he came to school with homemade bentos. He never had to worry about getting his lunch on the way ; even if he forgot to put it in his bag, his father would always notice before he left. Which was quite impressive, given the number of times he attempted that so he could try buying a meal he would actually appreciate. His parents had very different beliefs compared to him on what was considered edible or not, and as far as the boy was concerned, a lot of dishes was from the latter category.

Taking this day’s meal as an example : who could see bits of tomato and still felt hungry ? That was still bearable, though ; they weren’t mixed with anything and could be left alone, but he even got tricked into bitting a meatball only to discover it was full of bell pepper, and trying to finish it ruined any appetite he had left.

Maybe it was for the best. Eating next to a lunchless guy trying to concentrate wasn’t the smartest idea. He could spare Sugaya the view of food right under his nose.

“..You’re not going to finish ?” His comrade spoke, intrigued, when seeing him putting the lid back.  
“I’m not really hungry, to be honest.” He didn’t expect him to notice or react so quickly. Was that bothering him that much, for him to be so attentive to it ? Maybe disturbing him made him notice he was hungrier than he thought.

...Wait.

“...Do you want some ?  
-...Can I ?  
-Sure.” It was a mutual benefit ; his friend wouldn’t spend the afternoon on an empty stomach, and he wouldn’t get scolded for all the leftovers he brought back home.  
“Ah, thanks for the food, then.”

Without thinking, Mimura took a portion of spinach egg roll with his chopsticks to pass it. If he remembered well, that was what Sugaya usually ate first when he bought store bentos. That’s only when trying to finish his action that he noticed how silly it was, given he had nowhere to put the food, and it’s not like his friend could take it in his hands given he manipulated who-knows-what with them.

Before he could put the egg roll back in his box, however, Sugaya already took it in his mouth.

The sight left Mimura almost gaping. The taller boy, half bent so he could put his head to the level of the other’s hand, the end of the chopsticks hidden between his lips before reappearing, shiny from saliva, the way his throat moved as he swallowed-

“Oh. It’s really sweet.  
-...Ah, y-yes, do you dislike it that way ?  
-No, it’s okay, it’s good. Can I have another piece ? Ah, but try to hold it higher, I will hurt my back if I continue bending like that.  
-...Don’t you rather want me to give you the chopsticks ?  
-Hm ? No, I’m fine like that.”

Mimura noticed how he wasn’t asked if that was fine with _him_. He was there to help, sure, but feeding someone like that was no casual act. Could it be, because he held the food in such a way, the artist mistakenly thought that was what he planned to do in the first place ? Even so, why the boy didn’t just assume it was a joke ? He hadn’t even wiped his chopsticks before, why would Sugaya just put them in his mouth like that ?!

...No, there was no need to be flustered by that. Maybe, if Nakamura was there, she would tease them for having an indirect kiss -he could perfectly imagine her making a kissing mouth, complete with sound-, and on an unlucky day Hazama would join her -that he couldn’t imagine, or rather, he wouldn’t dare to think about the kind of comments she would make- ; for now, they were only the two of them, two mature and calm students who understood how _childish_ that would sound to remark on this. In the first place, Bitch-sensei did so much more to them, they had no reason to feel embarrassed by that.

Absolutely no reason.

At all.

...It was actually a rather fascinating display. Sugaya face didn’t betray that anything was out of the ordinary, but there was just something in the way he had to adapt and wait patiently for each bite. Or maybe it was because Mimura wasn’t just used to observe him during those moments that he was much more aware of each trembling of his friend’s mouth and throat -and the occasional tongue movement to wipe away a grain of rice on his lips.

He almost wanted to try holding food just a little too far to see the artist’s face as he struggled to eat.

He didn’t do that, though, because that was immature, and admittedly mainly because they didn’t have time to play around. He thought about mentioning how faster Sugaya could eat by himself, but ultimately decided to keep being silent. He wasn’t actually sure why. The idea of wasting the efforts it took to accommodate to the situation, surely, he decided.

“Ah... that was good...  
-Will it be enough ?  
-At least until the end of classes.” Sugaya made a pause to ponder about something. “Let’s grab something else to eat after that. My treat.  
-I’m not against it, but maybe you should think about finishing your work before planning anything ?  
-Urg, yes.” He looked an instant at his belongings spread out on the table. “Fast food, bakery ? Any preference ?  
-Anything’s fine by me.”

...Too casual. Why were they talking like that after what they’ve done ? Was Mimura really thinking too much about it ? No, no matter how he looked into it that wasn’t something normal, he wouldn’t do that with, say, Okajima or Kimura or... well maybe Isogai, but it’s not something they could just brush off easily like that. Or could they ? Should he not preoccupy about it ?

“So, about... what we just did...  
-Hm ?” Sugaya didn’t bother to look at him. Way too casual.  
“...Let’s pretend it never happened.  
-You mean in front of others ?  
-No, I mean... _at all_.  
-What ? Sure, if you want, but...” He better not ask why. He can’t be that oblivious. “You don’t want to try again some day ?” Nevermind, Mimura would have preferred he ask why.  
“Why would I... You...  
-I thought you would want to try to be at the opposite end one time, at least. I liked it, personally. You should give it a chance.”

Aaah, he felt embarrassed just to imagine it. And he felt even more embarrassed that Sugaya wasn’t embarrassed at all.

...Next time Mimura will feed him, he was so going to put food out of his reach.


	3. Day 4 - Magic Trick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 4 was a special day, where instead of a prompt, we had a pair chosen by a randomizer. As you can see, I'm missing Day 3 - I actually wrote only for 3 days of this week. I might write one more text as an extra, through.

When Korosensei entered the teacher’s room, Shiro looked up from his Jump magazine. The giant octopus’ expression almost made him want to laugh ; it seemed that half a day of handling an unfocused Itona and the class’ comments had quite an effect on him. 

‘ _Seemed_ ’ was the key word there.

Of all the people in this building, Yanagisawa was the only one that knew the truth about the tentacled teacher. Akari probably had doubts too ; surely she was aware of the monster’s true nature to some extent, else she wouldn’t have infiltrated this class. He should try to have a talk with her, later, even if she was unwilling to speak with him, to let her know about this creature’s true identity.

Behind this smiling face was a criminal mastermind and a brainwasher.

Of course, it did not necessarily meant Korosensei purposefully tricked the people around him to like him. But, in this situation, it was only natural that he wanted his students and colleagues’ approval. Be it conscious or unconscious... He is bound to present himself in a way that would make him endearing to others. A living being around which you could relax ; a being full of weakness, whose emotions were easily readable.

It was entirely possible that Korosensei felt tired, frustrated and depressed of the situation with Itona claiming to be his brother. No, it was even likely. But his feelings might as well be exaggerated for the sake of appearance. Looking like a harmless, funny, creature. It made it so easy to forget how dangerous he was.

Shiro was well aware of that. After all, even after the lab incident and all those death... He couldn’t help but still find him loveable.

Doesn’t mean he wouldn’t try to kill him, though.

“May I propose you some tea, Shiro-san ?  
-Ah, no, thank you.” Did this creature thought he would get a chance to see his face that way ? Well, it was inconvenient but he could still drink while keeping his mask. With his voice alterer, however...  
“That’s a shame. I specifically went to Mount Everest to search for the purest water to brew it.”

Bragging like always. Ah, even with this slimy body, he could see hints of his old guinea pig.

_“Yanagisawa, did I ever told you the story of how I flirted with the head scientist of some big project ?_  
-That’s Yanagisawa-san for you, guinea pig. And nobody cares about your stories.  
-That’s a shame, because you’re one of the main characters.” 

He had very clear memories of this, due to the frequency of it. Arrogantly speaking of his old feats with a smug face before being electrized.

...Or before burning his tongue on hot tea. If he hadn’t assisted to the transformation himself, he would have a very hard time believing this was the former God of Death.

“Ah, that’s the latest Weekly Shonen Jump, isn’t it ? Might if I borrow it for a few seconds later ?  
-Please feel free to do so.” For this octopus, ‘a few seconds’ might not be an exaggeration. He might just finish it before Shiro even notice it. “This week is really interesting, Matsui’s latest ser-  
-No spoilers ! I would love to speak about it later, but please let me read it first !” Korosensei said that quite excitably, before adding, on a calmer tone. “My colleagues don’t share my interests, so it get lonely sometimes when I can’t speak with my students.  
-I don’t know much about your interests,” what a lie, he knew way too much, he remembered even most of the books the former God of Death had asked for back then, “but if it’s the Jump or magics tricks, I’m willing to talk.  
-Oh, yes, magic. Is that one of your specialities ?  
-You could see it like that.” He never spoke about this hobby with his test subject before, so he saw no problem divulging this information.  
“I knew it, that thing with the bird couldn’t be done by a beginner. Ah, this was quite amazing.” Says the giant Mach 20 tentacle monster and former God of Death. That was almost endearing how sincere he seemed despite his capacities. “Aaah, I want to see another trick now.  
-...Should I show you one ?  
-Would you ? I’m not easy to impress, though, you know ?” Big words from someone who went into a corner in liquid form as soon as a stranger stepped into the room.  
“We will see that.” _‘Don’t underestimate me’_ , he wanted to say, but... actually, it would be better if the octopus didn’t think much of him.

A trick that may impress a creature going to Mach 20... A simple card trick wouldn’t do. Ah, maybe... it’s not really prestidigitation, but...  
“Then, how about I conjure out of nowhere something you would never find at school ?  
-Like the dove ?  
-Not quite. This time, I won’t touch anything. Could you turn around ?”

The teacher turned his back on the white wearing man, intrigued.

“Now, look at the file drawer right next to the whiteboard.” It was fun, how obedient he was. He missed that. “Second compartment. What is there ? Some files, I suppose ?  
-Yes, organized alphabetically.  
-Go into the ‘Ka’ section. It must be there.”

Honestly, Yanagisawa didn’t expect much. He would love to mess with Korosensei, but there was little he could do for now. Wouldn’t want him to be too cautious before the assassination.

The yellow creature suddenly turned, a magazine in his hand, a woman showing way too much skin on the cover. He chuckled. “Did you thought I would get embarrassed by that ? My students saw me reading way worse. Besides, it’s a bit hypocritical from a guy letting a child come to school with erotic magazines, don’t you think ?  
-Open it around the middle.” Shiro continued, unfazed. “There should be the object I was talking about.” 

The octopus froze. That was normal ; he knew very well what the object in question was. Something way worse than simple titillating lecture. Something that he certainly wouldn’t want the existence to be known by his colleagues or the children of his class.

“If I’m not mistaken, there should be a letter, addressed to a young woman... an idol, maybe ? Words like ‘tentacles bra’ and other indecent expressions... Isn’t that a thing one would never find at school ?  
-That... That was a very impressive trick.”

Korosensei tried to keep his cool, but that visibly wasn’t working, given the twisted smile on his face. Of course, there was no way Shiro could actually make something, even a piece of paper, appear out of thin air ; yet, it couldn’t be denied as a magic trick. After all, if that perverted teacher were to say _‘It was already there, I put it myself’,_ that would be akin to acknowledging he wrote it. 

_So, even he had shameful acts he would like to keep private._ Maybe Shiro should try to assassinate his public image first, if the plan from this afternoon failed.

Still, this octopus should already be aware his belonging were examined. Let alone the government who spied his every move, his own students had rummaged through his stuffs. He had to expect something like that to happen eventually, why was he acting so surprised ?

Yes, acting. That had to be it. Just like every move and expression, for the sole purpose of letting others drop their guards til they start to feel some kind of affection for him. He knew that very well.

He have been victim of it, too.

But that was fine. Korosensei could keep acting all he wanted, that wouldn’t save him from Itona’s tentacles after classes. Even if he survived... Even if he was alive after this fight, Yanagisawa would still be there, too, ready to plan another assassination, again and again until he ended this life.

That man that took everything from him, he hated him to the point he was willing to do anything for revenge. That man that seduced him with his words and gestures of fondness, he loved him to the point he could never let someone else have him, dead or alive. He will show him. Those twisted emotions.

For now, he had to feign composure, though. For the sake of that goal, he would contain every of his sudden burst of anger, no matter how tiring that made him felt. He wasn’t Yanagisawa the head scientist with temper problems, but Shiro the calm mysterious man.

After some minutes unable to look away from the magazine, the inhumane teacher resumed the conversation.

“Actually, I do know a few tricks myself.  
-Surely you do, with such speed and flexible limbs.  
-Oh, I don’t need those to do magic.” Again, that smile... “Would you let me show you ?  
-Please do.”

The octopus drew nearer of his interlocutor.

“Actually, I would have a request for it.  
-What is it ?  
-May I take your hand ? Ungloved, please.”

Oh.

This might be a problem.

There were few things Yanagisawa didn’t expect his former guinea pig to recognize. His sent, for example : as an human, the God of Death just didn’t have the nose to pick up such precise odor, and in his full new form, they had never met before this day.

His hands, however ? He had plenty of occasions to get acquainted with them. Maybe even more than the scientist could remember. Cupping them over a cheek. Fingers running on a bare torso. Fingertips messing with streaks of hair clinging to the forehead by sweat.

_“Your hair’s getting longer, guinea pig, remind me that we need to cut it.  
-Why, don’t you find long-haired men pretty ?”_

It might be a dangerous move. It was so easy to come up with an excuse without arousing suspicion, why would he take that risk now ? What would he win in doing that ?

But, for wanting him to remove his glove. Surely the octopus needed the contact. To touch him again. He wouldn’t even feel this familiar human skin against his own... 

No, too risky. He shouldn’t.  
Even if this former God of Death have suspicions, won’t Itona kill him before he could do anything about those ?  
One could never know with him. He always betrayed Yanagisawa’s expectations.  
The children knew something was planned, though, their teacher couldn’t run away like that.  
Would Korosensei guess about the tentacles if he knew who was Itona’s gardian ?  
He should do it. While he still have the chance.  
He shouldn’t do it. Not when he’s so close of his goal.

Slowly, Shiro bared his left hand.

A tentacle took it. He felt surprised by its warmth ; he expected a cold, slimy texture, not this firmness, this bouncy impression. How strange.

How confortable.

Too comfortable, really. He shouldn’t get so carefree. The tip of this tentacle that was gently caressing his skin, how much harm could it do to him ? How many people did it kill during that terrible night ? His hand tensed into a fist as painful memories came to his mind.

“Ah, sorry if it’s disagreeable.” Thankfully Korosensei mistook the gesture. “I was taken by... some nostalgic feelings, I guess.  
-So, this magic trick...?  
-Ah ! Yes. See how I can’t... well, see your face though your mask ?  
-I hope so, or it would be rather pointless for me to have one.” What kind of trick could be even linked to that ?

That the moment Korosensei brought the hand he was holding to his mouth.

An hand kiss. How unusual from his guinea pig.

...Wait a minute.

...This octopus was _kissing him_ ?

“Yet, with this simple magic trick, I can tell that your face is red now.” How could he even say that with such a smug face.  
“...How amusing.” No, not really. He remembered his guinea pig being a flirt with him, but never would he have been so bold with the others -he thought he did it so much because it was him, the head scientist, and mostly because, he had to admit, he always reacted strongly to it- why would he do that to _someone he had just met_ \- why was that bothering him so much - why did he felt so _charmed_ by this-

“So, are you confirming it ? Or denying it ?  
-...Neither, I guess.” He had to keep his cool, this didn’t affect him, not at all. He wasn’t Yanagisawa. He knew nothing of this octopus’ origins.  
“I see. But, Shiro-san.  
-Hm ?  
-Even if you say that, you’re still holding my tentacle.  
-...That doesn’t mean anything.”

Stupid guinea pig. How did he became so captivated by him.


	4. Extra day - First meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the final text ! The idea was originally for Day 5 - First Meeting, but the event ended when I was only mid-way. So, instead of scrapping it, I turned it into a gift for the lovely co-admins of the events who love this pair !

There are moments in life where someone find themselves in the middle of the street, struggling to carry too many bags, thinking _“I should have planned this better”_. Takaoka was currently living such a moment. **  
**

One could wonder how such a big man had a problem carrying a few bags full of cakes. To be honest, the weight was nothing, he could certainly handle twice this. Rather, all those bags were bulky, making any movement difficult, the plastic straps were starting to be painful against his skin, and the box on his shoulder had a precarious balance. One of those problems alone would have been tolerable, but together, it truly made him regret not having organised this in a better way.

Of course, this wasn’t the first time it was happening. Many times he bought a multitude of Western sweets for his future children, yet he still ended up in this situation. He guessed this was the same trick of memories where you were unable to remember the precedent time at an all-you-can-eat cake buffet and you gorged yourself on food, only to feel sick half-way.

Still, bags didn’t move by themselves, and Takaoka was a brave man, so he had no choice but to endure till he reached his car. Even if that included lot of excuses to the people trying to walk next to him, bothered by the place his belongings took.

It’s okay. He could do it. Pain was nothing. He was rather worried about the unsteady box he could barely hold, ready to fa- oh, _come on_ , not in the middle of a pedestrian crossing-

“Careful there !  
-Uh ?  
-You almost dropped this -ah, the light is turning red !”

Takaoka advanced without a thought as he was pulled by the sleeve, his eyes fixated on a bunch of light hair. He wanted to ask this young man, wasn’t he going in the opposite direction ? But, as much as he paid attention to his surroundings, given the situation made him very aware of how bothersome he was to other pedestrians, he had not noticed him. It’s as if he appeared out of thin air in time to catch the falling box.

As they reached the sidewalk, the blond man turned around, letting the future P.E. teacher have a good look at him while he extended the box to him. Delicate features, pronounced eyelashes, some foreign traits on this face. Cute.

“Here. I think it’s yours.  
-Ah, yes, thank you !  
-...Do you need help carrying it ?” The eyes of the smaller man went from one label to another. “Hermé, Charpentier... Those are cakes, right ? It’s dangerous for them to move so much...  
-No no, it’s alright, my car is not far away, don’t worry !  
-Oh. Have a good day, then.  
-Thanks, you too !”

The man turned away to look at the red lights, stealing a glance at Takaoka during the few seconds he still looked at him. What a polite man, and kind too. He could only hope his future students would be as serviable ; he would love to meet more people like him.

...Somehow, his wish was granted a few minutes later.

“Wait ! Takaoka-san ! Your wallet !  
-...?”

This man ? Wait... Wallet ?!!

“I’m sorry, I looked in it for the ID card, that’s how I got your name... It’s the right reading, isn’t it ?  
-Yes, don’t worry... How could I lose it...  
-Haha, you will only have to be more careful next time. Then, good day to you !  
-Ah... Yes...”

The man left as soon as he came, running to... well, anywhere he had to be probably. He didn’t even had time to ask anything. Takaoka looked at his wallet’s contents and put it in his jacket, at its usual place, patting with his free hand to see if there was any hole... No, nothing, the outer pocket was normal. How strange. Didn’t he zip it like usual ? Well, he didn’t see how else could it have happened -it’s not like someone could have stole it if it was to leave it full...

* * *

The God of Death was extremely good at pickpocketing. This was but one of his many talents. Obtaining a wallet, in such a situation ? Child play.

Of course, he didn’t need the contents to know this man was Takaoka Akira, part of the Ministry of Defense. The God of Death knew many things and had eyes and ears everywhere.

He knew, for example, that this man was to become a teacher at Kunugigaoka today.  
He also knew he was to teach a class of students distanced from the main building.  
He knew the name of every of those students and their specialities.  
He knew their homeroom and main teacher was a dangerous creature like the world had never known one.

It would be a fitting target for the God of Death to improve his skills. He didn’t need the money. What he needed, however, was every information he could get, be it on this giant octopus or the place he worked, the students he taught, the colleagues he spoke with.  
Most of those would be useless. But the God of Death could never be too zealous in his work.

So, he approached this future teacher. All in all, they only interacted for one minute. But he was sure he left an impression on that man ; he would be remembered in the next days.

More than that, he have been able to obtain some interesting informations from this wallet.

The God of Death knew his leather well. The wallet he stole was made of full grain, the best kind of leather and obviously the most expensive one, and well tanned, too. This was not what you would expect from a man who dressed in cheap sportswear. The probability of it being a gift was very high. 

Nowadays, people rarely had photos of their loved ones and relatives on them, preferring instead to have them as a wallpaper on their phone. Yet, this man, despite his youth, old-fashionedly had pictures in his wallet ; not of family or a partner, but bunches after bunches of younger men in military clothes, some heartwarming, others painful looking from the scars and bruises. From what he knew of that Takaoka, it had to be his students.

It took the God of Death a few seconds to remember that teachers aren’t supposed to hurt their students like that. Normal teachers at least.

Still, they seemed to be close, and on some cases their facial features hardly betrayed fear. There even was a picture of their teacher heartfully laughing while hugging one the recruits, a ‘BEST DAD’ cap on his head. How... strange.

There wasn’t much besides the photos - money, of course, but no amount that would be disturbing, and a few point cards from multiple cake shops. He quickly noted how one of them seemed more recent, from the corners sharper than the rest and the ink of the stamps unfaded, yet the card was almost full. A recent favorite ?

The God of Death smiled. This would make a good lure.

* * *

Those children... Despicable, rebellious, good-for-nothing children... How dare they _humiliate_ him like this ? 

As Takaoka walked away from that school, taste of paper still on his tongue, he couldn’t help feel furious at the stares he attracted. As a big guy, he was used to being noticed. But the worried look of those pedestrians was twisted by something in their eyes... there was snicker of mockery in them, just like that boy... He felt a burning sensation crawling though his skin, a unpleasant feeling he needed to scratch away... 

“If you need to tear your face off, a knife would be quicker.”

The smooth voice startled him by how sudden it filled his ears. He looked at the source, wondering how he couldn’t have noticed the tall yet harmless man now by his side. Though this person was now clearly dressed for manual work, cap and apron and gloved hands currently holding a bouquet of white flowers, he could easily place a memory on this pretty face.

“Ooh, you’re... !! ...That guy !”

A small chuckle responded to that.

“You can call me Hanamura.”

Hanamura, hm ?  perfect for someone who seemed to work as a florist. Great coincidence if it was one.

“So, Hanamura-san... what was that about a knife ?  
-Oh. It’s... just a small joke. You looked pretty nervous scratching your cheeks like that, but maybe I need to work on my humor ?  
-No, it’s... It’s fine.”

Well, it was more weird than funny, but still, it distracted him. It was a bit amazing how calm he felt at that instant, as if the unassuming young man emitted some strange relaxing aura, and...

_-a movement of knife, an hint of blue hair, and it was all over-_

...and it didn’t work very well, after all, because he felt his whole body getting tense again, his skin so itchy he needed a conscious effort to stop his hand from going to his cheeks. Takaoka was sure that during an instant, a small, almost unnoticeable instant, a glimmer of surprise shined in the florist’s eyes, but surely it must have been his imagination, as the man’s expression switched quickly to concern.

“Is everything okay ? Is that an allergy or something ? Should I call an ambulance ?  
-No no, it’s fine, just... I had a bad day...?  
-...Oh. Something wrong with the cakes of this morning ?” Hanamura tilted his head. “Or is it your car ?  
-My car is fine.” Takaoka was just too unnerved to drive correctly, and he needed to walk. It might have been a bad idea to come into town, though... He just went along his usual places. “And the cake was delicious. It’s just...” He sighed. What was he was doing, going to complain like that to a stranger.  
“...Just ?”

The smaller man looked at him with a glitter of... was it expectation ? There was confusion and concern and _something_ that made him want to speak, that relaxed him and eased him without him being conscious of that. To an outsider, it could almost be scary how the florist could inspire such a mood change. But, Takaoka was certain that this person was harmless.

“It’s a... complicated situation, it would be pretty long to explain...  
-I see. Then...” Hanamura arranged the flowers in his hand on a shelf of his vehicle. “...Let’s do it like this. You want to repay me for this morning and my pause is long overdue, so why not inviting me to take a cup of coffee ? We can talk while drinking, plus there’s a cake shop I’ve wanted to try. Have you heard of ‘Wanazawa Bakery’ ?  
-Oh, I love this place !” Takaoka replied enthusiastically, forgetting his negative mood. “They opened pretty recently but they already have a lot of clients ! They have so much variety in their sweets, too...  
-Then... it’s settled ?  
-Ah, uh...” The bigger man hesitated an instant. “...Why not.”

He received a smile in exchange. A beautiful, kind smile.

He had no idea of this smile’s true meaning, for the God of Death’s acting was perfect.

* * *

When put in a likeable environment they were used to, people tended to drop their guard. Comfortable seats, favourite foods... plenty of little things, insignificant by themselves, could contribute to someone’s mood.

Of course, little of that mattered in face of substantial danger. A man fearing assassination won’t suddenly relax just because he came home or was presented a delicious dish.

Takaoka acted like he was in such a case. It had surprised Hanamura. He never intended to kill the man, more than useless, that act would create problems. Yet, this person reacted as if strong bloodlust was directed at him. 

...It couldn’t have been one of the students, was it...?

But the God of Death was the best in his... in every domain. He wouldn’t be able to call himself the best assassin in the world if he couldn’t make a wary man drop his guard. While showing his most harmless face and subtly imitating his target’s moves -people tended to unconsciously pick those gestures and trust more those who acted similarly-, he manipulated the conversation at his rhythm.

“So, they did that ‘awful trick’ to you... because they wanted their homeroom teacher back for PE ?” But which one, the official, human one who would deal with the parents and outside world, or the one they had to kill ?  
“Yes, I don’t understand why... This guy, he...!! He might be strong, but he’s so cold, he acts like a robot !” The official, then. He expected it, since his sources from the Ministry of Defense had informed him that Karasuma Tadaomi was the class PE teacher before Takaoka, but he needed confirmation. It was tricky to discern the facts when half of the explanation was self-censored for obvious reasons.  
“Isn’t that normal for teachers, though ?” Even before the former God of Death, Hanamura had multiple teachers. The best his father’s money could offer. Efficient and strict. Harsh, even.  
“Is it now ?” Takaoka sighed. “Even if that’s the case... Isn’t it fine for teachers to get closer to their students ? To give them affection ? Everyone would be happier as a big family, no ?”

The God of Death quietly took a sip of his coffee -way too creamy, thankfully unsweetened- to buy himself some seconds of thinking for his next move.

This Takaoka had surprisingly got fired on his first day. He would likely not interact with E Class anymore. It was useless getting closer to him : this time would be better used observing the students directly from a distance. So, the best way to act was to gently put an end to this conversation, agreeing on everything to not stir up trouble.

The question was so far fetched anyways. If it was more effective to treat their students as sons and daughters rather than tools, his former master... the first generation would have done so. The pain of those days he felt were never ending, the days he had to stop himself before going mad... It couldn’t have been useless. He would not permit it.

“...Do you really believe it ? In your education method ?  
-It’s not belief. I _know_ it works.”

The face of the God of Death didn’t change. His eyes didn’t reflect surprise nor did his expression moved, even for a second.

But he thought that maybe, just for a little... This man might be interesting enough to keep around.


End file.
